SynopsisAs a doctor, Eidolon is sworn to heal and protect all who seek help at his hospital but as a Seminus demon, he finds it difficult to cope with his unwanted attraction to Tayla Mancuso, an Aegis slayer taught to hate and destroy all demons. Torn between their duty and passion, Tayla and Eidolon must put aside their differences to confront a dangerous foe that threatens both their worlds.

ReviewThird time's a charm.

The world building is problematic at first with an overabundance of demon species. There is an excessive number of characteristics and traits to keep straight, and this makes it extremely difficult to become immersed in the story (hence the fact that I gave up reading twice). However, things improve once the details become more narrow and focused, and the Demonica universe is ultimately very intriguing.

The good/evil dichotomy is compelling and Ione's perspective certainly makes you reevaluate your preconceptions. Nothing in the Demonica world is merely black or white, and good and evil come in all shapes, sizes and species.

A similar pattern emerges with the characters - none are particularly likeable in the beginning as racism and discrimination abound. Nevertheless, as the plot progresses and the personalities evolve, it becomes clear that there is more to the characters than meets the eye.

Tayla is a kick ass heroine who conceals her vulnerabilities and insecurities behind a hard facade and a sarcastic wit. Eidolon is also not as straight laced as he initially appears and exhibits a fierce loyalty both to his brothers and to Tayla. Eidolon and Tayla have an intense and complicated relationship as both must come to terms with their prejudices if they are to combat the various threats against them.

Eidolon's brothers are intriguing as well, Wraith in particular, and I will definitely be continuing with the series. ( )

It seems that demons are becoming the new vampires. And that's not bad. They're new, fresh and intriguing. Let's face it, who can resist a sexy demon? And if he's a doctor, like Eidolon, then his sexy meter has gone up in flames.

I've read other books about demons, but it's always a nice surprise to see how an author manages to go around the general idea that demons are only bad and have no soul and make them into a lovable character. Eidolon is one of those characters. The older brother, Eidolon is also the most cerebral, or so I perceived him. He's the co-founder of the Underworld General Hospital and one of the doctors. Inside that hospital you'll find all kinds of creatures who you wouldn't exactly expect: vampires, werewolves, incubi, demons, even humans. I think that the idea of putting all these creature who are sometimes enemies is brilliant. Makes me like the series even more. But back to Eidolon.

Eidolon loves his brothers so much, he's willing to sacrifice himself in order to keep them from getting hurt or from dying. He's also loyal to the oath he took, to always care for the creatures who come into his hospital. Even an enemy. So when one of his nurses bring a demon slayer into the hospital, Tayla, he treats her like she's just another patient. He didn't exactly liked her job description, but he didn't hurt her and he didn't let others hurt her while she was in his hospital.

Tayla is one of those people who sees only black and white. If humans can be good and bad, demons are only bad. The same goes for vampires, werewolves and all the other non-human creatures. I can't exactly blame her for that belief. She saw her mother getting raped and killed by a demon, who she later found out was the worst kind of demon. So when the Aegi, a human organization dedicated to killing all the creatures that go bump in the night, offer her an opportunity to avenge her mother and to protect the other humans to never go through the same situation as her, Tayla accepts it. So when she wakes up in a demon hospital, she's more than just furious. Especially when she realizes she's very attracted to her demon doctor, Eidolon.

I loved the universe in this series. It's unique and fresh. Even though he might seem soft, I don't think another character would've been better for a series opener than Eidolon. I still have two books left in this series, but I hope in the near future we'll get another book in this series. I'm not really ready to let go of this universe. ( )

It takes me awhile to get to most of the paranormal romance books I own because, well, I'm not really a fan of them. Most of the time instead of my eyes being glued to the paged, they're rolling. I was in the mood for one, though, and this one shines with its average ratings on Goodreads, so I dove in last night and already finished it today.

It's one of THOSE books. You know, the ones that are hard to put down and like second nature to pick back up again. The plot is one that's been done before, many times, but with unique twists for this invented world. The author went out of her way to form different kinds of monsters and demons, some evil and some not, all with their own hangups. To make that even more involved, the demons can have different twists to their breed depending on parentage, age, and upbringing. It's borderline confusing.

Enter the main character, who has a startlingly disturbing back story. Sure, a lot of main characters in these series have it rough, but this one has a post-traumatic stress disorder story that would make the most hardened psychologist cringe. Her devotion to the annoying Aegis is believable, but I'm glad it was short lived since it irritated me.

There aren't many surprises, and no real mystery or anything, or any tightly woven suspense scenes that made the blood rush. It still works because the main characters are likeable. They're not sappy, they're not dopey, the female protagonist Tayla has only a mild chip on the shoulder that is easy to remove, and the male protagonist Eidolon (yeah, I had to look it up...) isn't too angsty.

Since it's a paranormal romance, of course there's plenty of sex. But while a lot of these books make it the focus point and just silly, this one makes the relationship itself shine through firmer than the insta-lust. It works with how it makes sense and the characters have more than a primal, mate-now bond. Dare I say it's a sweet relationship?

As far as paranormal romances go, this is a dark one with gritty violence, morbid histories for the characters, and disturbing torture flashbacks. The next books follow the characters introduced here, and of course them finding their mates, which is a formula that seems to work for this kind of stuff. Because of the formulaic continuance, I won't rush to buy the next one, but I will say this book made me a happy reader. Funny lines, loveable main characters, an interesting enough unique world, and some semi-erotic moments that worked. ( )

The story was solid and written well. Something about it just doesn't sit with me well but I can't quite put my finger on it either. The characters were interesting and fun to read. Protective and passionate. Steamy and serious. The idea of a demonic hospital was funny at first but as I read more into this authors demonic brethren I found it quite interesting and a necessity. The characters hang ups were real and in her case, quite scary. I felt so bad for her and when I understood why she couldn't come I'm not sure who I felt more for, her or Eidolon. He had his own problems, demonic maturity the top priority and scariest problem. Being a doctor means everything and becoming a lusty sex focused beast must be terrifying.

Also, on a side note, I feel for the human regent Kynan. He was awesome and doesn't deserve the cards felt him. Granted many of the characters in this book didn't either. It was a steady reminder that this was kind of a dark book in general. But even in darkness there is beauty and I did enjoy it. ( )

3 1/2 stars. This first book in the Demonica series had to spend a fair amount of time setting up the complicated world the series is set in, which weighed it down somewhat. But I liked Eidolon and Tayla, and I plowed right into book 2 to see how it developed further. ( )

The demon is a prince of the air and can transform himself into several shapes, delude our senses for a time; but his power is determined, he may terrify us but not hurt.

--Robery Burton, Anatomy of Melancholy

Dedication

This book is dedicated to every single person who came to the aid of my family after Hurricane Katrina...you were instrumental in getting me back on my feet and writing again. Without you, this book would not have been possilbe. I will never be able to thank you often enough or well enough, but know that I will not forget.

To my parents, who never stopped encouraging me, who supported my dream from the beginning. I love you very much.

To my husband, Bryan, and my son Brennan, who put up with countless nights of hearing, "You're on your own for dinner," while I was under deadline. You mean the world to me.

To Roberta Brown, for being an incredible agent and having faith in my writing, and Melanie Murray for being patient, helpful, and enthusiastic about this project.

To HelenKay Dimon, Alison Kent, Lynn Viehl...you know why.

To my fellow Gnippers, who have been rooting me on for years.

Last but not least, to Karen Boss and Dee Knight, who took time out of their busy schedules to provide last-minute resads and the best advice ever, and Stephanie Tyler, Jaci Burton, and Lara Adrian, for more than I have room to list.

First words

Had Eidolon been anywhere but the hospital, he would have killed the guy pleading for his life before him.

She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.

Two lovers will dare to risk all.

Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

"She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life."--Back cover.… (more)